1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to both side and top filled flip-top paperboard containers, the blanks therefor, and method of assembly. More particularly, this invention is directed to an initially sealed flip-top container openable along exposed perforation lines to expose an access cutout of an integral internal collar and having positively prealigned latching surfaces, desirably on both side panels of the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Perforations are commonly utilized in the construction of initially sealed flip-top paperboard containers. Such perforations, however, are usually disposed in an inaccessible position such as an under-turned part of the flip-top. Such positioning of the perforations is inconvenient insofar as a consumer is concerned since it precludes the use of a thumbnail or other tool when the perforations are particularly resistant to rupture. In addition, the inability to use a thumbnail on the perforations in opening the container may require sufficient inward pressure to damage the contents of the container or to rupture an inner liner.
The use of perforations is necessary for flip-top container construction and, in the absence of a panel underlying or overlying such perforations, there is a substantial risk of leakage or product deterioration as a result of exposure to the air. The additional panels necessary to obviate this problem greatly increases the amount of paper necessary to form the blank.
Flip-top containers are often used in the marketing of tightly packed commodities. In such an application, these generally used containers have frequenctly been provided with a recess in the front of the container to provide ready access to the contents thereof. Typically, such a recess requires a cutout to achieve the access and an additional panel to provide the paper necessary for the manufacturer's glue seam. This results in the waste of paperboard material in forming the blank and may require additional steps in the container forming process.
The flip-top construction generally requires an internal collar to lend structural strength to the container at the top thereof. This internal collar has generally been formed from additional panels at the side or bottom of the blank. A substantial reduction in the paper requirements of the blank may be achieved by the location of the internal collar panels on the blank immediately adjacent the area where it will be utilized in the assembled container, i.e., at the top of the blank.
Various latching surfaces have been provided between a container and a flip-top hingedly attached thereto. Considering that automated machinery is normally employed to form the containers, it is apparent that cooperating latching surfaces of the flip-top and the associated container must be provided with loose tolerances to accommodate potential misalignment therebetween during formation of the container. Loose tolerances necessarily reduce the effectiveness of the latch to the annoyance of consumers. On the other hand, tight tolerances often accentuate the misalignment and poor registry of the cooperating latching surfaces as a result of which the latching surfaces may not cooperate to hold the flip-top closed on the container and result in spoilage.
The asembly of paperboard containers from paperboard blanks often requires specialized and expensive glueing machinery and this is particularly true with the more complex flip-top type of container. Since conventional glueing machinery is best suited for straight line or spot glueing, paperboard containers formed from blanks that require only conventional, or easily modifiable, glueing operations are desirable.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to obviate these and other deficiencies of known flip-top containers and to provide a novel method of assembling flip-top paperboard containers with conventional glueing machinery.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel flip-top container in which the sealing perforations are readily accessible to the consumer on the front panel thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top container having an efficiently designed internal collar facilitating access to the contents of the container while providing increased structural rigidity.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top container blank in which the internal collar is located adjacent the flip-top portion thereof.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top container having positively aligned latching surfaces to hold the flip-top closed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top container in which a pair of positively prealigned edges are disposed between each side of the container and the corresponding portion of the flip-top.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top container which includes an integral and internally disposed collar providing access to the contents of the container while underlying or overlying all perforations.
Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a novel flip-top blank in which a glue flap for connecting the detachable portion of the front panel of the container to the flip-top is formed in the process of cutting an integral collar to define a finger access recess therein.
A yet still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement of latching tabs which cooperate with one another to retain the flip-top of a carton in a closed configuration.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paperboard blank for a novel flip-top paperboard container including a novel arrangement of prealigned latching tabs and an internally disposed collar having a finger access recess therein.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel blank for a flip-top paperboard container which may be used by conventional double package making machinery without modification thereof.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains when the appended claims are read in conjunction with the detailed description of preferred embodiments and the associated drawings.